San Jose dispensaries offer free marijuana to card-carrying voters

Free pot in San Jose

Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

A warden with the California Department of Fish and Game hacks down marijuana plants near Kernville. Cannabis clubs in San Jose are offering free pot and discounts to patients who go to the polls Tuesday and vote in several contested races.

A warden with the California Department of Fish and Game hacks down marijuana plants near Kernville. Cannabis clubs in San Jose are offering free pot and discounts to patients who go to the polls Tuesday and vote in several contested races. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

Veronica Rocha

San Jose pot clubs offer free cannabis to patients who vote Tuesday

Cannabis clubs in San Jose are offering free pot and discounts to patients who go to the polls Tuesday and vote in several contested races.

The Silicon Valley Cannabis Coalition is organizing the "Weed for Votes" program as an effort to increase voter turnout at Tuesday's election.

“We have a huge opportunity to make a large impact in who runs San Jose,” coalition director John Lee said in a statement. “Although we may not have regulations on the June ballot, insuring the right politicians are elected is even more important.”

Voters with medical marijuana cards who show their ballot stubs or an "I voted" sticker could received free cannabis and discounts at collectives throughout San Jose.

The group is asking voters with medical marijuana cards to cast ballots for candidates who will be "reasonable" with their regulations on cannabis clubs.

Local races include leadership positions on the San Jose City Council as well as a county and statewide election.

The free pot offer does not appear to violate California's vote-buying law, according to a statement from Santa Clara County Dist. Atty. Jeff Rosen.

But it may violate a federal voter-influence law because some candidates on the ballot are vying for federal offices, he said in a statement.

The group's "cannabis-friendly" election guide suggests voters cast a ballot for certain San Jose City Council candidates, as well as a superior court judge, local sheriff and state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris.

The free pot program comes as the San Jose City Council is expected to vote Tuesday on new medical marijuana regulations, including restrictions on medical marijuana cards and where cannabis is grown.